


Before Midnight Strikes

by AmuletMisty (AmuletStormfall)



Series: CxB Week 2015 [5]
Category: Legion of Super Heroes (TV)
Genre: M/M, Post canon, mentions of Clark Kent/Lois Lane
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-21 07:26:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16572236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmuletStormfall/pseuds/AmuletMisty
Summary: [Post-Canon] Clark and Brainy count down the minutes to the new year, 1000 years apart.





	Before Midnight Strikes

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Clark-Brainy January](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/431474) by DarkJ3. 



> Re-posted from deviantart. Originally published Sep 25, 2015.  
> On re-read, this is way too dramatic, but oh well.

**_I wish that we could stop time._ **

“Alright, but how about if this girl was _really_ special. Would you date her?” Wonder Woman’s drink almost spilt as she used it to point at Batman.

The Dark Knight narrowed his eyes under his cowl. “I’ve already told you, I’m not looking to date anyone. Not now, not ever.”

“You, my friend, are the life and soul of the party.”

“Thanks, I appreciate the sarcasm.”

Superman chucked as he overhead his friends’ conversation. The way they were going, those two would be having the same conversation over and over again. Not that they hadn’t had conversations like that before.

Though he usually had energy to spare, and though it hadn’t been a very busy day, Superman became overcome with a bout of tiredness. Perhaps it was the drink he was having – that could very well much be it. Not bothered to go find a chair, he let himself down to the floor, leaning his back against the wall.

Looking around, he was grateful that Batman had given in and agreed to let them have their New Year’s Party up in the Watchtower. The Leaguers were all engaged in conversations, playing party games that you would not find anywhere on Earth. ‘Pin the Tail on the Martian’ was one of Superman’s own favourites – it was always more challenging when the person you wanted to pin the tail on was either invisible or disguised as someone else.

He was glad to be surrounded by teammates he could trust and friends to last a lifetime.

Of course, he didn’t forget the friends who would live a lifetime in the future.

The golden light on his drink reminded him of the rings, and in turn, their creator.

**_For the joys to last forever._ **

“This party rocks!” Bouncing Boy shouted. “I have to hand it to Lightning Lad. For once, he did something right.”

Triplicate Girl giggled. “For once. You’re right, though. Who knew he had such good taste in music?”

“And who knew he had a talent for DJing?”

“Guess we can’t underestimate him anymore. But don’t let him hear that, it’ll get to his head.” Triplicate Girl laughed again, soon followed by Bouncing Boy.

Brainy waited for the two to get back to the makeshift dancefloor, before he slowly shut the door. It seemed that though he had just passed them, they hadn’t notice him leave the Legion’s headquarters’ central room.

Feeling he was safe from being searched for, Brainy slumped down to the ground, back sliding against the door as he reached the floor. Oh…he almost forgot that he had brought a drink out with him. He didn’t really want it.

It had took a lot of coaxing from Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl, but Cosmic Boy wasn’t so much a killjoy as to not let them throw a New Year’s Party up here. Cosmic Boy wasn’t the only want they tried to convince – the two pleaded for Brainy to stop being locked up in his room and to come and have some fun with them. He wasn’t too convinced with their definition of fun. He couldn’t just turn the volume down – the noise that rumbled through his human ears hurt. He had been forced to wear a suit by the others, complete with a tie that felt like it was strangling him.

Sometimes he wondered if he should have come back to the Legion at all.

He just couldn’t forget about a friend who had lived a lifetime in the past.

Looking at the glass’ blue contents reminded him even more.

**_For the pain to be forgotten._ **

“I don’t make too much of a habit of talking to myself, but I don’t think anyone can hear me.”

Superman smiled.

“You just suddenly popped into my mind, Brainy. I wonder how you’re doing.”

He looked around the crowded room.

“There’s so much I want to talk to you about. About just how much the Justice League has grown now. I feel like we’re really making a difference.”

He thought about the days where they let new members into the League. He thought about how proud he was to have been part of all of this.

“I kinda wish you were here to see this.”

He looked up at the clock hanging on the wall, ticking the time closer to the New Year.

Superman looked forward to the coming year. He had a feeling that it would be a good one.

“This probably sounds a bit weird to you. We never really did talk about romance, did we?”

Picturing a conversation between him and Brainy about romance was an amusing one, and he ended up laughing out loud.

“Well, there’s this girl – her name is Lois – and I think I’m seriously in love with her. I know, I know, you would probably think it was strange. And you’d probably think it was stranger that I think that…maybe she might just return my feelings.”

He looked up from his glass, still smiling.

“Next year…I think I’ll tell her I love her.”

Butterflies erupted in his stomach, as he imagined it.

“Hehe, I guess this is a bit weird. I should probably go visit you sometime. It’d be great to talk to you again Brainy. I hope you’re coping well with the whole being human thing.” His smile widened. “You can’t hear me, but I hope you know that I believe in you.”

The clock struck twelve.

“Wow, time flew by without me noticing.”

Superman raised his glass, cheerfully.

“To the Legion, and to Brainy –”

**_For your world will continue spinning._ **

“I’ve started talking to myself. The others pretend they don’t hear me, but I know they can.”

Brainy frowned.

“I think about you all the time, Superman. Even if I know you’re doing fine.”

He looked down the empty corridor.

“I wish I could talk to you again. Everyone else in the Legion seems to be growing. I feel like I can’t keep up with them anymore.”

He thought about the day he came back to the Legion. He thought about how out of place he felt.

“Or maybe I _don’t_ want to talk to you. I don’t know if I want you to see me like this.”

The holographic clock on the wall reminded him that the New Year was approaching.

Brainy dreaded the coming year. What was there to look forward to?

“Hey…you know, I’ve been reading some files that I never really had interest in before. It’s actually…romance.”

His shoulders slouched even at the thought of having a conversation about romance with Superman. It would never happen, would it?

“Romance…it never really occurred to me but…it seems that I may have those type of feelings for you. Is that strange? Perhaps it would be, because there would be no way that you would return my feelings. None.”

He looked down at his glass, his frown turning grimmer.

“I’ll never tell you I love you.”

He felt something drop to the pit of his stomach. He imagined all the conversations he and Superman would have, and all the times that he would have to keep it in.

“I won’t tell you, Superman. I promise. But I still…I just…” He trembled. “Please, come back. I just want to see you again. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. Please…”

The clock struck twelve.

“...Every second without you feels like an eternity.”

Brainy threw his glass and it shattered with a sharp crash.

“I don’t feel happy, Clark. But I know that you’d want me to say it. So this is for you, and only you –”

**_For your world will never be complete._ **

“- Happy New Year.”

**_With or without me._ **

**Author's Note:**

> Original A/N from deviantart:
> 
> Tadaa! So, I was looking around deviantart for inspiration for Fanfiction Friday and this beautiful piece of art by Darkj3 (darkj3.deviantart.com/) . It's so pretty and just look at everything that's going on in there. I just had to write for it. Haha, I made it a New Years' Party and only realised later it was made for January in the calender...so it could kind of fit depending on your perspective.
> 
> I put in a pseudo-poem I made 'cause I thought it fit the mood of the picture. You can read the pseudo-poem as one whole piece, but it can actually be split up into two shorter ones. One from Clark's positive perspective - i.e. the first line, the lines after Clark's parts, and the last line - i.e. and also one from Brainy's i.e. the first line, the lines after Brainy's parts and the last line.
> 
> People: ...I THOUGHT ANGST DAY WAS YESTERDAY WHY.  
> Me: ...It was only half angsty...AHAHAHAHAHA. 
> 
> I really like the title I chose in the end, though a contestant for it was 'Time Goes By (So Slowly)' because that line just kept going in my head. I was like 'where is that even from!?'. Apparantly it's a song by Madonna called Hung Up (LOL LOOK HOW MUCH I FAIL FOR NOT KNOWING). So yeah I think you should go listen to it here because it fits the fic surpringly well at some points o.O


End file.
